An Album a Day: #3 Your New Favourite Band

This album is pure power punk garage pop brilliance, well actually it’s more a compilation of previous releases, but for the sake of this blog it becomes an album.

Released on the Poptones label back in 2001 the band reached the heights of number 7 in the UK album charts.

The sound is raw, energetic and really makes me feel-good, I remember using “Hate to say I told you so” as my going out track, a bit of a warm-up for the night ahead. I think it is the fun nature of both the band and their sound that emanates this feeling.

Although there seems to be some anger in the way they perform and record and think that some of the appeal is the way that they don’t take themselves too seriously. This has also contributed to their commercial success. If you had long drawn out tracks with major changes in tempo and key then they would become tiresome and pompous but with no track on this album lasting longer than 3:22 you can see why they got some much air time. You cannot fail to like them.

The package, the timing, the length for the target audience and that raw garage sound is in essence almost perfect, but that is just my opinion. I enjoyed this album when it was released and I am enjoying even more today as I write about it. Perfect driving music for a long road trip!

Album Score: 9 out of 10

Sleeve Notes/Artwork: 7 out of 10

What the sleeve lacks in depth it makes up for in content, it is a simple one sheet folded over but contains the usual production notes, and my favourite thing about sleeves – the complete set of lyrics. The Hives certainly are my New Favourite Band!